1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chemical process towers and, more particularly, to vapor flow panels for achieving preferential liquid flow across the trays of such towers.
2. History of the Prior Art
Distillation columns are utilized to separate selected components from a multicomponent stream. Generally, such gas-liquid contact columns utilize either trays, packing or combinations thereof. In recent years the trend has been to replace the so-called "bubble caps" by sieve and valve trays in most tray column designs, and the popularity of packed columns, either random (dumped) or structured packing have been utilized in combination with the trays in order to effect improved separation of the components in the stream.
Successful fractionation in the column is dependent upon intimate contact between liquid and vapor phases. Some vapor and liquid contact devices, such as trays, are characterized by relatively high pressure drop and relatively high liquid hold-up. Another type of vapor and liquid contact apparatus, namely structured high efficiency packing, has also become popular for certain applications. Such packing is energy efficient because it has low pressure drop and low liquid hold-up. However, these very properties at times make columns equipped with structured packing difficult to operate in a stable, consistent manner. Moreover, many applications simply require the use of trays.
Fractionation column trays generally come in two configurations: cross-flow and counter flow. The trays usually consist of a solid tray or deck having a plurality of apertures and are installed on support rings within the tower. In cross-flow trays, vapor ascends through the apertures and contacts the liquid moving across the tray; through the "active" area thereof; in this area liquid and vapor mix and fractionation occurs. The liquid is directed onto the tray by means of a vertical channel from the tray above. This channel is referred to as the Inlet Downcomer. The liquid moves across the tray and exits through a similar channel referred to as the Exit Downcomer. The location of the downcomers determines the flow pattern of the liquid. If there are two Inlet Downcomers and the liquid is split into two streams over each tray, it is called a two pass tray. If there is only one Inlet and one Outlet Downcomer on opposite sides of the tray, it is called a single pass tray. For two or more passes, the tray is often referred to as a Multipass Tray. The number of passes generally increases as the required (design) liquid rate increases. It is the active area of the tray, however, which is of critical concern.
Not all areas of a tray are active for vapor-liquid contact. For example, the area under the Inlet Downcomer is generally a solid region. To attempt to gain more area of the tray for vapor-liquid contact, the downcomers are often sloped. The maximum vapor-liquid handling capacity of the tray generally increases with an increase in the active or Bubbling Area. There is, however, a limit as to how far one can slope the downcomer(s) in order to increase the Bubbling Area otherwise the channel will become too small. This can restrict the flow of the liquid and/or restrict the disengagement of vapor retained in the liquid, cause liquid to back up in the downcomer, and thus prematurely limit the normal maximum vapor-liquid handling capacity of the tray.
A variation for increasing the Bubbling Area and hence vapor-liquid handling capacity is a Multiple Downcomer (MD) tray. There is usually a plurality of box shaped vertical channels installed in a symmetrical pattern across the tray to direct liquid onto and off of the tray. The downcomers do not extend all the way to the tray below but stop short of the tray by a predetermined distance which is limited by a sufficient space to permit disengagement of any vapor retained in the liquid entering the Exit Downcomer. The downcomer pattern is rotated 90 degrees between successive trays. The bottom of the boxes is solid except for slots that direct the liquid onto the Bubbling Area of the tray below, in between the outlet downcomers and said tray. The MD tray falls into the category of Multipass Trays and is usually used for high liquid rates.
Addressing now select cross flow plate designs, a particularly effective tray in process columns is the sieve tray. This tray is constructed with a large number of apertures formed in the bottom surface. The apertures permit the ascending vapor to flow into direct engagement with the liquid that is flowing across the tray from the downcomer described above. When there is sufficient vapor flow upwardly through the tray, the liquid is prevented from running downwardly through the apertures (referred to as "weeping"). A small degree of weeping is normal in trays while a larger degree of weeping is detrimental to the capacity and efficiency of a tray.
The capacity of a tray is a function of the open area of holes and of tray spacing. When spacing is fixed, capacity may be increased by increasing the percent open area, but this practice is limited by decreased turndown due to weeping at low vapor rates. To overcome such weeping, a tray has been developed which is constructed from closely spaced rods of trapezoidal cross-section. They are manufactured and sold by the assignee of the present invention under the trademark SCREEN TRAY.
The trapezoidal wire members of the SCREEN TRAY are tapered upwardly, and this creates a Venturi effect to ascending vapor. Surface tension effects become pronounced with such close wire spacing. Combined with the Venturi effect produced by vapor rising through the tapered throats between the wires, surface tension phenomena reduce weeping significantly at low liquid rates and keep spray height low. The upward taper also defines a larger surface area for liquid flowing across the tray.
Tray efficiency is also known to be improved in sieve type trays by increasing the froth height of the liquid and reducing the backflow of the liquid flowing across the tray. Froth is created when vapor bubbles percolate upwardly through the liquid flowing across the tray. The suspension of the vapor in the liquid prolongs the vapor liquid contact which enhances the efficiency of the process. The longer the froth is maintained and the higher the froth is established, the greater the vapor liquid retention. Higher froth requires smaller vapor bubbles and the formation of the bubbles at a sufficiently slow rate. Likewise, backflow occurs beneath the froth when circulating currents of liquid are established during the liquid flow across the plate. This generally forms along the lateral portions thereof. These currents carry liquid back across the tray in a manner that reduces the concentration-difference driving force for mass transfer. It is the concentration-difference between the vapor and the liquid which enhances the effectiveness of the vapor-liquid contact.
The technology of gas-liquid contact is also represented in numerous prior art patents addressing process columns. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,959,419, 4,604,247 and 4,597,916, each assigned to the assignee of the present invention and U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,022 issued to Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha of Tokyo, Japan. A particularly relevant reference is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,035 assigned to Union Carbide Corporation that teaches a gas-liquid contacting tray with improved inlet bubbling means. A cross-flow tray of the type described above is therein shown with improved means for initiating bubble activity at the tray inlet comprising spaced apart, imperforate wall members extending substantially vertically upwardly and transverse to the liquid flow path. The structural configuration is said to promote activity over a larger tray surface than that afforded by simple perforated tray assemblies. This is accomplished in part by providing a raised region adjacent the downcomer area for facilitating vapor ascension therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,000 assigned to Shell Oil Company teaches apparatus for contacting a liquid with a gas in a relationship between vertically stacked trays in a tower. The apertures in a given tray are provided for the passage of gas in a manner less hampered by liquid coming from a discharge means of the next upper tray. Such advantages improve tray efficiency within the confines of prior art structures. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,219 assigned to Nippon Kayaku Kabushiki Kaisha of Tokyo, Japan teaches a baffle tray tower. The operational parameters of high gas-liquid contact efficiency and the need for low pressure loss are set forth. Such references are useful in illustrating the need for high efficiency vapor liquid contact in tray process towers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,426 issued to Carl T. Chuang et. al. and assigned to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is yet another example of gas-liquid contacting apparatus. This reference likewise teaches the multitude of advantages in improving efficiency in fractionation and modifications in downcomer-tray designs. The perforated area of the tray is extended beneath the downcomer with between 0 to 25% less perforation area.
Yet another reference is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,540 issued to W. Bruckert in 1968. A downcomer outlet baffle is therein shown to control the discharge of liquid therefrom. The baffle may include either a static seal or dynamic seal. In this regard the openings from the downcomer are sufficiently small to control discharge and may be larger than the tray perforations and of circular or rectangular shape. The transient forces which may disrupt the operation of a downcomer are also more fully elaborated therein. These forces and related vapor-liquid flow problems must be considered for each application in which a downcomer feeds an underlying tray.
The control of flow of liquid and vapor in a chemical process tower has also been addressed by both louvers presented on, and raised areas formed in, select portions of the tray. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,127 assigned to the assignee of the present invention addresses a raised active inlet area disposed beneath the downcomer of a chemical process tower tray for giving preferential vapor flow to ascending vapor therebeneath, which ascending vapor flow directly engages the descending liquid coming from the downcomer. In this manner, an advantageous and controlled vapor liquid interface is provided. The preferential vapor flow is afforded by virtue of the raised active inlet area, which raised active inlet area comprises a portion of the tray itself and which raised area presents a liquid head thereabove of reduced height to thereby present a lower pressure to the vapor attempting to flow therethrough. The concept of preferential vapor flow through a raised area is not, however, seen only in the aforesaid '127 patent. A raised active area is also set forth and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,021 assigned to Union Carbide Corporation. In this reference, a raised region is disposed immediately outwardly of the downcomer to present a bubble promoter or froth initiator relative to liquid discharged therefrom. Because the bubble promoter comprises a raised portion of the tray deck itself, the vapor flow will have a preference therethrough relative to adjacent apertures in the tray surface. It may be seen in this reference that adjacent apertures in this particular tray surface may also include louvered regions for directing the flow of vapor across the active area of the tray. These louvered regions comprise apertured portion of the tray deck area and do not comprise raised portions thereof. For this reason, there is no preferential vapor flow through such louvers although directionality of the liquid flow thereacross is manifest therefrom. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,610 illustrates yet another aspect of this invention. It may thus be seen that considerable prior art design activity has focused on the aspect of flow of liquid across active tray regions.
It would be an advantage to provide a tray assembly which promotes uniform liquid flow thereacross as well as increased efficiency. Such a tray is provided in the present invention wherein a series of raised flow promoter panels are positioned around the tray. The panels have a plurality of directional apertures for providing vapor injection into the liquid flow which is effective in achieving greater mass transfer. Likewise one aspect of the assembly incorporating directional apertures effects the liquid flow by limiting the retrograde flow (back-mixing) in cross-flow plate applications. Reduced back-mixing increases efficiency and homogeneity is maintained across the tray.